What was the 1945 radio broadcast of Hirohito’s surrender announcement called?

The 1945 radio broadcast of Hirohito’s surrender announcement was called Gyokuon-hōsō.

The Japanese term means “broadcast of the jeweled voice,” a respectful reference to the Emperor’s voice. The broadcast aired on August 15, 1945, and carried the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, which announced Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration.

The speech had been recorded on August 14 during a tense political crisis. Military officers attempted to prevent the recording from being broadcast, but the effort failed. The recording’s formal language and limited audio quality meant that many listeners did not immediately grasp every word.

Gyokuon-hōsō is sometimes confused with the Potsdam Declaration, which was the Allied demand for Japan’s surrender. It is also distinct from the September 2 surrender ceremony and its signed legal instrument.